Remember Lee Lacocca?

Just as true today as it was when his book first came out.He was, and still is, a brilliant businessman! Often we need to be reminded of Iococca's words.

Remember Lee Iacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from its death throes? He's now 82 years old and has a new book, 'Where Have All The Leaders Gone?.

Lee Iacocca Says:

'Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage with this so called president? We should be screaming bloody murder! We've got a gang of tax cheating clueless leftists trying to steer our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even run a ridiculous cash-for-clunkers program without losing $26 billion of the taxpayers' money, much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, 'trust me the economy is getting better.'

Better? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned, 'Titanic'. I'll give you a sound bite: 'Throw all the Democrats out along with Obama!'

You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore..

The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Afghanistan, Iran is completing their nuclear bombs and missiles and nobody seems to know what to do. And the liberal press is waving 'pom-poms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of the ' America ' my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you?

I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. The Biggest 'C' is Crisis! (Iacocca elaborates on nine C's of leadership, with crisis being the first.)

Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with thumb up your butt and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.

On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. A hell of a mess, so here's where we stand.

We're immersed in a bloody war now with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. But our soldiers are dying daily.

We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the world, and it's getting worse every day!

We've lost the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs.

Gas prices are going to skyrock again, and nobody in power has a lucid plan to open drilling to solve the problem. This country has the largest oil reserves in the WORLD, and we cannot drill for it because the politicians have been bought by the flea-hugging environmentalists. Our schools are in a complete disaster because of the teachers union.

Our borders are like sieves and they want to give all illegals amnesty and free healthcare. The middle class is being squeezed to death every day. These are times that cry out for leadership.

But when you look around, you've got to ask: 'Where have all the leaders gone?' Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.

Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo?

We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.

Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping the government will make it better for them. Now, that's just crazy. Deal with life.

Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when 'The Big Three' referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, look what Obama did about it!

Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debit, or solving theenergy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.

I have news for the Chicago gangsters in Congress. We didn't elect you to turn this country into a losing European Socialist state. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on NBC or CNN news will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?

Had Enough? Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope - I believe in America. In my lifetime, I've had the privilege of living through some of America's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises: The 'Great Depression,' 'World War II,' the 'Korean War,' the 'Kennedy Assassination,' the 'Vietnam War,' the 1970's oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years since 9/11.

Make your own contribution by sending this to everyone you know and care about. It's our country, folks, and it's our future. Our future is at stake!! ***********************************

Of course I'm not a US citizen, 100% Aussie, but I do know who Lee Iococca is and about much of his history in US commerce.

I'm not about to buy into US politics here, we have enough of our own issues here for me to pick the bones out of, but something sits very uneasy with me about this article.

While it is quite clear to see that the man breaths passion, and god love him for that because I personally despise apathy, it would seem to me that it's quite an easy task for one to sit back and point out what is wrong in ones country.

It's even easy to take cheap shots at those elected by ones own country to do their best in putting things right, but what is never easy is to come up with a workable solution that solves the issues!

Without reading the complete book I am only able to comment on this particular article, so while my comment is in context to this article, it may well be out of context to the complete book, and if so then I apologise for selling him short.

That being said, where are his own creative and workable solutions to the issues he highlights?

It's easy for me to complain about my steak that has been over cooked by 3 days, but that doesn't mean that I could cook it any better.

It just seems to me that everyone in the world knows what's wrong with it, but when it comes to putting up or shutting up, most seem to go very quiet, then hide in dark alleys and take shots at those that are in the front lines trying for every ones sake.

Australia is going this way, we're becoming a country of knockers. Everyone here has an opinion with what's wrong, but when you try to find some one who to stand up and put their money where their mouth is, they all run under the sofa like cockroaches with the light on.

I'm assuming his book isn't politically motivated, I mean some of the issues he covers in that particular article seem to highlight involvement by both political parties!

I really do hope that I am doing his book a dis-service, and that it does also include some thought provoking solutions to the issues, other wise I would have to ask myself what is the point?

Just look at the News here, Our country is on the verge of bankruptsy. I'm 65 years old & in all my life it has never been this bad. We have a president that wants to make this a socialist government. This troubles me.

HAven't read his books. But I remember when he took over Chrysler. He basically created the minivan, still popular today. As a kid I remember seeing the Chrysler lot empty out and then reappear after he took over.

If I remember correctly Reagan was in charge during that time and turned the french term Laissez-faire if I have this right, into the coin word meaning, hands off, basically which was his way of dealing with the economy. Meaning dont interfere and let the market place run the show which lead to a huge boom period for the US.

The problem as I see it is, people thinking they can resolve the world with the government which has never happened in the history of this planet. If you look at any civilization, the people who did the worse which is most of them had a heavy handed and intrusive government. Russia pre the wall collapse, China, Cuba and now France and Germany. Most Germans only work about three months out of the year because if they work more, they pay it all in taxes.